Applied undergraduate education requires Engineering Mechanics to move from transmitting knowledge to developing competence that students can call upon in real engineering situations. Classroom observation at the author’s institution shows that students’ behavioral, emotional and cognitive engagement are weakened to different degrees. This study analyzes the causes from five angles: the translation between engineering phenomena and mechanical models breaks down; learning motivation is unsupported; cognitive scaffolding is in short supply; interaction fails to form a feedback loop; and assessment does not reach classroom engagement. On this basis a three-loop “suspense–interaction–achievement” instructional design is proposed: a real engineering question arouses curiosity, multi-party dialogue drives inquiry, and visible progress sustains confidence. The design logic and the implementation points of the three loops are set out, and a worked example from the chapter on column stability is given, as a reference for classroom reform in basic engineering courses at applied undergraduate institutions.

Pengcheng Yuan, Huaping Lai. Reconstructing Classroom Learning Engagement in Engineering Mechanics at Applied Undergraduate Institutions: A Three-Loop “Suspense–Interaction–Achievement” Instructional Design. Frontiers in Educational Research (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 10: 31-38. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2026.091005.

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